Archives for May 2018

‘”It’s not another franchise that moved to Vegas. I’m not betraying anybody. This is ours,” Kraft said. “It’s not like they’re the Maple Leafs or somebody awful like that. I’ll be happy if Buffalo ever gets it together enough to win a Cup, but that’s not gonna diminish how happy I’ll be if the Knights win.”‘

‘The NHL opened two new arenas to spectacular reviews this season, T-Mobile and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Many other mid-’90s places like Buffalo have either been heavily renovated or are currently undergoing the process. Declining arena issues in places like Long Island and Calgary have long been a talking point for Bettman at these sessions, but Buffalo is not in that category yet.’

‘”I’ve seen all his highlights and he’s got some nasty moves and he’s going to be a great, great player in the National Hockey League. He gets a lot of attention back home and rightfully so. It’s good to see him get that. There’s been a lot of Swedes in this league and it’s another chance to show there’s great players from Sweden.”‘

‘”It was cold. My dad gave me that jacket. But you know my favorite team was San Jose,” Ovechkin said when asked about the photo by The Buffalo News during his session at Stanley Cup Media Day. “Back then we can’t order, we can’t buy stuff with the logo. If we have something, you wear it because back then, for me and for kids, they don’t care if it’s like a Detroit or Vancouver hat or T-shirt or jersey on you. You’re so cold. You play hockey and you have a T-shirt or something with an NHL team logo.”‘

‘”It was a great period and time for me,” Housley told The News by phone from his home outside St. Paul, Minnesota. “We had such a solid team. Ron Wilson was our coach, Olie the Goalie was tremendous and it showed that you can’t get to the Stanley Cup final without great goaltending. I just remember what a tight group it was. We had a lot of different personalities and meshed at the right time. We didn’t like the result in the final, playing a team that had won the previous year and had a Hall of Fame lineup, but you always remember that run.”‘

‘”You can get great players to come through Buffalo and play for their sports teams, but that doesn’t make them a true Buffalonian,” Kaleta said. “Those are the guys that go out in the community and do stuff and understand what Buffalo is all about.”‘

‘Everyone on this team plays with a chip. Even coach Gerard Gallant was cast aside by the Florida Panthers, who should get Christmas cards from Vegas fans forever for the gifts they provided in expansion.’

‘”I know these are highlights and he’s a young man and has to mature and really get to the NHL and North American game,” the Buffalo head coach said by phone Friday from his home in suburban St. Paul, “but just seeing his poise and his hockey IQ of processing the game at a high speed is really, really something. I’ve been watching on YouTube and, boy, it’s incredible. He’s going to be a complete package in today’s NHL.”‘

‘The San Jose Sharks signed Kane to a seven-year, $49 million contract Thursday, officially giving a first-round pick to the Sabres as a condition of their February trade. The Sharks said the 2019 pick is lottery protected, so if they miss the playoffs next season, the first-round selection can slide to 2020.’